ozone – The National Wildlife Federation Bloghttp://blog.nwf.org
The National Wildlife Federation's blogThu, 08 Dec 2016 18:09:20 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.1New Ozone Rule to Better Protect Wildlife, Public Healthhttp://blog.nwf.org/2015/10/new-ozone-rule-to-better-protect-wildlife-public-health/
http://blog.nwf.org/2015/10/new-ozone-rule-to-better-protect-wildlife-public-health/#respondFri, 02 Oct 2015 15:00:34 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=109451This Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced a rule that will benefit public health, vegetation, and wildlife. The Agency finalized a new standard for ozone and smog pollution of 70 parts per billion (ppb). This rule will benefit wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts by cleaning up harmful air pollution in both urban and rural areas.

Ground-level ozone is a dangerous air pollutant and the precursor to smog. It is created when Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) react with Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) in the presence of sunlight. The recent expansion of oil and gas production, as well as sources like vehicle exhaust, has led to vast and unhealthy concentrations of ozone in rural and urban areas alike. Under the Clean Air Act EPA has a Congressionally-mandated responsibility to review the standard for this pollutant every five years. The newest medical and scientific research finds the old standard of 75ppb, set in 2008, to be outdated and no longer considered safe for public health.

Wildlife which live near oil and gas development, like pronghorn, are particularly at risk from the impacts of ozone pollution. Photo: Mark Gocke, USDA

While the new rule is certainly an improvement over the previous standard, EPA’s own science advisors determined that ozone concentrations should be at a maximum of 70ppb, with concentrations closer to 60ppb being safer. This means that there will still be significant room to improve our air from ozone pollution.

Benefits to Wildlife and Public Health

Ozone and its components (VOC’s, NOx) can impact communities and wildlife that live near and downwind of oil and gas wells. Repeated exposure to ozone can cause permanent damage to the lungs of both animals and people. Wildlife can experience many of the same symptoms as humans who live near or are active in high ozone areas such as wheezing, shortness of breath, chest pain, and even premature death.

Ozone also affects sensitive vegetation and ecosystems, including growing trees and plants, forests, parks, wildlife refuges, and wilderness areas. It can impact the ability of plants to photosynthesize, increase their susceptibility to disease and harm their visible appearance, which can impact wildlife habitat and species diversity.

In addition to the health impacts, ozone interferes with peoples’ ability to enjoy the outdoors. As the main component of smog, ozone reduces visibility. This is true not only in many of our major cities but also some of our most prominent landscapes and national parks. Ozone can also make it dangerous to be outdoors, given the elevated health risks. This makes it harder and unhealthy for people to connect to and enjoy nature. You can track your local ozone levels in real-time here, or download EPA’s free AIRNow app.

The oil and gas industry emits precursors of ozone, which harm even some of our most prominent landscapes. Photo: NASA

No Basis for Opposing Public Health Standards

Industry has spent an unprecedented amount of money fighting this rule, insisting, once again, that stronger air standards will drive up costs. However, time and time again we have found these objections to be a red herring. Since its inception, the Clean Air Act has successfully reduced pollution while our economy has continued to grow. The Clean Air Act provides states flexibility and ample time to craft a plan to meet the stronger standard. Further, other rules already in the works, like vehicle efficiency standards and power plant regulations, will help localities clean up smog pollution.

Combatting climate change will also help reduce future ozone pollution. Warmer temperatures caused by climate change increase the risk of unhealthy ozone levels because higher air temperatures enhance the conditions for ozone formation. Additionally, building a clean energy economy based on wind, solar, and electric vehicles will reduce sources of emissions that cause ozone.

This makes effective implementation of measures designed to reduce harmful carbon pollution – like the recently finalized Clean Power Plan – ever the more important. To really benefit wildlife and public health, it is important to continue to fight for a stricter ozone standards as well as support action on climate change.

Please join us in thanking the Environmental Protection Agency by retweeting the following.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2015/10/new-ozone-rule-to-better-protect-wildlife-public-health/feed/0Shattered Skyhttp://blog.nwf.org/2012/08/shattered-sky/
http://blog.nwf.org/2012/08/shattered-sky/#respondFri, 24 Aug 2012 19:00:53 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=65493Shattered Sky is a new documentary that uses the true story of the ozone crisis to inspire action addressing climate and energy issues. The National Wildlife Federation is the education partner for the film, working with the filmmakers to create educational and outreach campaigns for youth across our nation’s campuses.

Looking for an environmental documentary to raise awareness of environmental issues and kick off your campaign this fall? May I suggest Shattered Sky?

You might be thinking, “oh no, another environmental documentary…let me get the tissues and the punching bag…” but, based on my extensive experience watching environmental documentaries (and feeling subsequently angry and/or depressed by their content and our society) let me reassure you that Shattered Sky is different, offering a positive story of teamwork and success. A fairy-tale ending. But every silver lining comes with a cloud, and the full truth is that Shattered Sky tells two stories, one from once-upon-a-time, and one from the sooty, polluted pages of today.

Shattered Sky is an account of the worldwide collaboration among nations (ALL the nations, to be exact) to address the issue of the hole in the ozone layer in the late 1980s. The leader of the pack was the United States of America. The President at the time? Ronald Reagan.

You may or may not be familiar with the story of the Montreal Protocol–some really cold scientists in Antarctica ran some tests in the ’80s and figured out that the ozone layer (which protects us from harsh UV rays) was getting thinner (so the scientists were also really sunburned…), probably as a result of people using hair spray in aerosol cans, so in 1987 a bunch of dudes went to Montreal and ultimately signed a piece of paper agreeing to use hair gel instead of spray. Okay, okay so actually it’s a little more serious and complicated than that. Real quick:

1970s: Scientists Rowland and Molina begin studying the effects of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the atmosphere.

1980s: Studies by several agencies across the planet show significant depletions in the ozone layer, specifically over Antarctica

1986: DuPont (one of the top manufacturers of CFCs) testifies in front of Congress that this is really not a big deal

September 1987: Montreal Protocol is signed to phase out the use of CFCs. By September 2009, the Montreal Protocol is universally ratified

If that chain of events reminds you of, say, today’s big polluters denying climate science, you’re not the only one to make that connection. Shattered Sky filmmakers Steve Dorst and Dan Evans intersperse the story of international efforts addressing CFCs with the modern mayhem surrounding worldwide legislation on, for instance, CO2 emissions. The parallel is uncanny, but at the same time, inspiring. We need a reminder that we have all worked together before, that American politicians have taken a stand on behalf of the planet, and with actual results to show for it. Did you know, for example, that members of Congress received more letters about CFCs than any other topic except for the Vietnam war? Consumers even initiated boycotts on aerosol products.

Call to Action for Campuses

While we may need more than just a few screenings to revitalize efforts for climate legislation, Shattered Sky can be used as a call to action for college and university presidents to sign the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Committment (ACUPCC). And if your president has already signed, Shattered Sky could offer the motivation to increase the scale or scope of campus projects.

In 2011, nearly 20 million students were enrolled in institutions of higher education. That’s almost equal to the number of people in all of New York state, or all of Florida. Or the sixteen least-populated states combined. Imagine if all the electricity they used were powered by wind? Or if all the food waste in their dining halls were composted, instead of going to landfills? These goals are achievable, and universities can be leaders in the movement against climate change. In fact, they already are.

Ozone-protecting legislation was achieved by bipartisan perseverance–hard work on both sides of the aisle. Similarly, Shattered Sky appeals to a broad spectrum, from international affairs to political science majors, from business students to the crunchiest-granola environmental studies major, as it well should. Addressing climate change through policy can’t be left to one group in particular. It will only be through a confluence of our efforts that we make real and measurable progress toward a sustainable future.